Lafayette, LA
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
3.40×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Louisiana
- 3.38×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.03
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
20.1%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Louisiana
- 21.8%-1.7
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-3.2
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.84%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Louisiana
- 4.47%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.02%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Louisiana
- -0.15%+0.13
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
5.47
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Louisiana
- 2.78+2.69
- vs U.S.
- 3.53+1.94
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
4.0%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Louisiana
- 4.3%-0.3
- vs U.S.
- 4.5%-0.5
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
balanced buyer mix
Investor loan share
10.3%
4,763 purchase loans · 28.4% denial rate · 2024
Share of financed home purchases going to investors. Above ~15% means landlords are outbidding owner-occupants; below ~8% is owner-dominated.
Benchmark
Investor purchase loans ÷ all purchase loans (CFPB HMDA LAR, annual)
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+24.9%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+3.2%
Median home value
$206,900
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $898 | $10,776 | 17.7% |
| 2 BR | $1,019 | $12,228 | 20.1% |
| 3 BR | $1,301 | $15,612 | 25.6% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
4.0%
Median household income
$60,910
What's being built
Total TTM
2,248
+32.2% YoY
Single-family
2,231
2–4 unit
2
5+ unit
15
All 5 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette Parish | 243,175 | $234,200 | $67,660 | 1,655 | +28.7% |
| Iberia Parish | 69,958 | $156,000 | $57,811 | 119 | +21.4% |
| Acadia Parish | 57,674 | $146,900 | $45,266 | 147 | +31.3% |
| Vermilion Parish | 57,202 | $159,700 | $57,537 | 276 | +59.5% |
| St. Martin Parish | 51,856 | $151,000 | $53,394 | 51 | +24.4% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Lafayette | 479,865 | $60,910 | 3.40× | 3.84% | +24.9% | 5.47 | 4.0% |
| Springfield, MO | 477,056 | $61,488 | — | — | +60.3% | — | 2.9% |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | 496,299 | $64,623 | — | — | +65.0% | — | 5.9% |
| Fayetteville, NC | 522,537 | $58,909 | — | — | +62.6% | — | 4.3% |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 477,577 | $67,203 | — | — | +51.7% | — | 4.4% |
| Mobile, AL | 429,312 | $58,119 | — | — | +51.1% | — | 2.8% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-100
-0.02% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Lafayette Parish, LA | 1,759 |
| Iberia Parish, LA | 854 |
| St. Landry Parish, LA | 840 |
| St. Martin Parish, LA | 795 |
| Vermilion Parish, LA | 703 |
| Acadia Parish, LA | 547 |
Who lives in Lafayette
- Median age
- 37
- Bachelor's+
- 27.0%
- Owner-occupancy
- 69.0%
- Vacancy rate
- 12.1%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 43.6%
- Median household income
- $60,910
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
Data sources
| Metric | Source | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| rent vs buy | HUD FMR + Census ACS + FRED MORTGAGE30US | current FY |